5 Ways to Prepare Your Family to Respond to Disasters

I love the following video from the National Guard and 3 Doors Down:

Should everyone consider themselves 'Citizen Soldiers?' I'm not talking about carrying guns and fighting terrorists! Instead, I'm talking about being prepared in times of crisis to keep your cool and save lives. Here are some ways to prepare your family for unexpected events so they know what to do to help.

Take Basic CPR and First Aid Classes

Contacting your local Red Cross and taking some basic CPR and First Aid classes is the first thing you can do to be prepared. Last time I checked, they were pretty cheap. Depending on the age of your children, these classes may be a great family activity.

Buy the Boy Scout Handbook

I'm not kidding, the Boy Scouts have the best book out there for 'Being Prepared.' Buy the book and do some of the activities with your family. Once again, it's a low-cost way to have fun and teach your family what to do in emergencies.

Get a Good First Aid Kit

You don't need a huge stockpile of supplies. A mid-sized first aid kit should be good. Also, make sure you have a couple of ACE Bandages. There are more first aid uses for an ACE Bandage than you can imagine!  You will find some of those uses in the Boy Scout Handbook.

Buy a Good Flashlight

This flashlight should stay with the First Aid kit. Get one of those new LED flashlights so you don't have to worry about the bulb. Make sure you check the batteries on the first day of every school semester.  That way you know it will work when you need it.

Have a Plan

Do your children know what to do in a fire? Hurricane? Tornado? Earthquake? Flood? Do you have a home evacuation plan? Have you agreed on where to meet if you get separated? What about emergency phone numbers? Do your children know what to do and where to go if they do not have access to a phone? Make sure and keep copies of your plan with your First Aid kit and flashlight.

Remember, this isn't about being scared or alarmest.  It's about knowing what to do in a crisis to secure your family so that you can help people in your community who cannot help themselves.

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Here is a video about the tornado that hit the Boy Scout camp in Iowa. This video highlights the importance of being prepared. We never, never know when we will be in the middle of a natural disaster and have to look out for our friends and family.